BROAD EXPERIENCE
About
Imagine having a one-to-one class with an English teacher who not only understands many of the complex issues you have to deal with in your day-to-day work, but can actually ask questions that may even challenge the way you see those issues.
Imagine preparing for a high-stakes presentation in English with someone who can not only help to tweak the expressions you want to use in the presentation but also understands the complex terminology and may even be able to offer pointers on the contents of the presentation.
Most teachers of English as a second language cannot do that. Like people in most professions, they know relatively little about finance and economics. Good teachers may be experts in English grammar, syntax and vocabulary but few of them understand the vagaries of international trade, finance and geopolitics. Which is where I come in.
Not only have I been teaching English as a foreign language for over two decades but I have been writing about these topics for the best part of 15 years – first as a ghost writer for the in-house journal of one of Spain’s most respected business schools and then later for well-respected financial blogs in the United States as well as UK-based financial firms. I am also a published author.
I have spent the past 25 years teaching English as a second language. In that time, I have taught senior executives, particularly in the financial sector, as well as classes of university professors, who need to improve their English skills drastically in order to be able to teach their respective subjects in the world’s most widely spoken language.
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
At the same time, I have analysed and written about global economic and geopolitical trends, with a particular onus on Europe and Latin America. This has given me a keen understanding of the complex and swiftly evolving political and economic situations in both regions. I have also written specialist articles for one of the UK’s largest accountancy firms.
A UNIQUE OFFERING
All of which is to say that a class with me is very different from your typical English class. Instead of covering generic business topics, my classes are anchored in the real-world issues business executives have to grapple with on a daily basis. In today’s acutely volatile and uncertain world, those issues can change very rapidly.
FOCUSING ON WHAT MATTERS
Having an English teacher who is comfortable discussing complex issues, from supply chain crises to interest rate pressures, from trade and energy wars to stock market bubbles, and from debt and financial crises to the opportunities, challenges and risks of AI, makes it a lot easier for you, the student, to improve your language in the areas that matter most – i.e., those you have to actually work in.
A PASSION FOR ALL LANGUAGES
Another key advantage I bring to the classroom – or, as is increasingly the case, the Zoom class – is my knowledge and passion for languages – not just English. My father is a retired language teacher (German and French). I myself am fluent in Spanish, having lived for more than two decades in Barcelona and Mexico. I am also conversant in French and have (finally) begun to learn Catalan.
LONG-TERM STRATEGIES THAT WORK
This is an advantage for a number of reasons. First, I can understand the challenges and frustrations students face in learning English to a high level, given the challenges thrown up by complex grammar rules, phrasal verbs and disconnected spelling and sounds. This, I believe, makes me a more empathetic language teacher. And second, drawing on my own experience with languages, I can help students develop long-term strategies for honing their own language skills.
